Mar 1, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out against the Houston Astros during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

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Aaron Judge spring training debut: How the Yankees captain performed in first 2025 action

All rise!

Aaron Judge is back in action. The Yankees captain made his spring training debut last night against the Houston Astros, and while he didn’t launch a home run like Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, who cares? It’s just spring training. After a monster 2024 season where he played more games than in any other year of his career, Aaron Boone figured Judge could use a little breather before stepping into the box.

Aaron Judge’s 2025 spring training debut

Judge started the 2024 season a little sluggish. He missed time in spring training, and it took him a while to find his groove at the plate. But once he did, he did what Aaron Judge does. He ended up smashing 58 home runs, hitting .322 with 144 RBIs, and putting up a ridiculous 1.159 OPS on his way to yet another AL MVP award.

His slow start, though, lingered longer than expected. Through March and April, he hit just .220 (22-for-100) with six homers and 17 RBIs. It wasn’t until late April that his batting average even climbed above .200. Then, like clockwork, he flipped the switch, posting an OPS over 1.000 in every single month afterward.

This time around, Judge is looking to get ahead of the curve. He wants to log around 40-50 at-bats this spring, hoping that a little extra time in the box now might mean a sharper start to 2025.

“If you want to improve your bench press, you do more bench presses, push-ups, whatever you’ve got to do. If I want to improve on the season, maybe I need more at-bats. Maybe that will help me start off the season a little better.”

2-RBI knock for @TheJudge44 👨‍⚖️ pic.twitter.com/0qhUmK8m31
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 1, 2025

Judge went 1-for-2 with a two-run single in the Yankees’ 9-3 win over the Astros in the Grapefruit League opener. His first at-bat ended in a called third strike, but he made up for it in the third inning, lining a high fastball from lefty Bennett Sousa into left field to drive in two runs and give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. If this were the regular season, he probably wouldn’t have even seen a pitch to hit in that situation.

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Judge’s 2025 projections, at least according to Baseball Reference, suggest a step back – by his own standards, anyway. They have him slotted for a .293 average, 46 home runs, 106 RBIs, and a 1.048 OPS.

A busy, chaotic day for the Yankees

While Judge’s return was a bright spot, the day was filled with far less pleasant Yankees injury news. First, Giancarlo Stanton’s status was officially confirmed – he’ll miss Opening Day and start the season on the injured list. Then, DJ LeMahieu, making his first spring appearance, tweaked his calf in his second at-bat, leading to a “here we go again” moment for Yankees fans. Aaron Boone admitted it was at least “a little concerning.”

George Lombard Jr. launches a solo shot 💪 pic.twitter.com/TvRGI7ZU5Y
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 1, 2025

But if Yankees fans were looking for a pick-me-up, they got one courtesy of 19-year-old George Lombard Jr. The teenage sensation crushed a 414-foot bomb off Bennett Sousa, leaving a lasting memory in his first big moment of the spring.

Aaron Judge

Spring Training

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.